Bombus (Megabombus) consobrinus Dahlbom, 1832 in the European North of Russia: its distribution and foraging preference

The focus of this study is to summarize the data on the distribution and foraging preference of Bombus (Megabombus) consobrinus Dahlbom, 1832 in the European North of Russia. The range of B. consobrinus in this region mostly repeats the disjunctions of the range of Aconitum septentrionale that is also known in Scandinavia. In other regions of Northern Eurasia, the close relationship of B. consobrinus with Aconitum is not obvious. This bumblebee species may be regarded as oligolectic in Northern Europe and the European North of Russia. We assume the presence of a coadaptive relationship of this bumblebee species with A. septentrionale in this region that presumably have been caused by the complex history of B. consobrinus in the European North.

Materials for the ecological-geographical analysis of Kuznetsov Mountain (Samara Region) vascular plants flora

According to the results of the ecological-geographical analysis, the aboriginal fraction of the vascular plant flora of Kuznetsov Mountain (Samara Region) is presented Eurasian (74,8% of species from the composition of the aboriginal fraction), Pluriregional (14,5%) and European (10,7%) geographical elements. The largest number of species have Eurasian (32,2%), European-West Asian (14,4%), Holarctic (12,1%), Euro-Siberian (10,3%), European (8,8%) and European-West Siberian (8,4%) longitude areal types. The latitudinal component of the areal is dominated by plurizonal (36,9% of the natural fraction of the flora), boreal-nemoral (21,5%), forest-steppe (15,4%) and nemoral (12,1%) plant species. The adventive fraction of flora is mainly formed by species of the Mediterranean, the North American (28,3% each of the composition of the adventive fraction) and the Iranian-Turanian (24,5%) origin. The current geographical distribution of a significant part of the adventitious species is associated with Holarctic (30,2%), Eurasian (22,6%), Hemicosmopolitan (17,0%) and European-West Asian (11,3%) areals. The endemic species ( Crataegus volgensis Pojark.) and 8 relict species [ Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C.A. Mey., Bupleurum aureum (Hoffm.) Fisch. ex Hoffm., Laser trilobum (L.) Borkh., Pulmonaria mollis Wulfen ex Hornem., Geranium robertianum L., Caragana frutex (L.) C. Koch, Aconitum septentrionale Koelle, Corydalis solida (L.) Clairv.] have been identified in the flora of the vascular plants of Mountain Kuznetsov. The boundaries of the areals of 7 flora species [ Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro, Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth, Aconitum septentrionale Koelle, Crataegus volgensis Pojark., Bupleurum aureum (Hoffm.) Fisch. ex Hoffm., Campanula latifolia L., Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C.A. Mey.], represented on Mountain Kuznetsov, pass through the territory of the Samara Region.

ALLIUM TEST AS A METHOD OF RESEARCHING ANTHROPOGENOUS LOAD

In the course ofstudy of anthropogenous load upon theterritories located in the immediate vicinity of the construction site of a large petrochemical complex "ZapSibNeftekhim", LLC there were found common species for all territories: Achillea millefolium L., Aconitum septentrionale Koelle, Aegopodium podagraria L., Alchemilla sp ., Angelica sylvestris L., Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth, Carex acutiformis Ehrh., Carex macroura Meinsh., Carex sp ., Crepis sibirica L., Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H. P. Fuchs, Equisetum sylvaticum L., Filipendula vulgaris Moench., Fragaria vesca L., Galium mollugo L., Geranium sylvaticum L., Hypericum maculatum Crantz, Lathyrus vernus (L.) Bernh., Lysimachia vulgaris L., Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd., Orthilia secunda (L.) House, Paris quadrifolia L. To determine the toxic effects of environmental contaminants on living objects there was used Allium test. Using plant concentrates of Achilléa millefólium L. (1), Calamagrostis arundinacea L. Roth. (2), Filipendula vulgaris Moench. (3) growing on monitoring sitesthere was determined the frequency of anomalies in mitosis of root meristems of onions ( Allium cepa L.) which is sensitive to increased impact of anthropogenous pollutants. An increase in mutagenic mitoses was recorded in stressful anthropogenic conditions: 29.88-31.20% (1); 21.91-24.80% (2); 30.46-47.66% (3). Analysis of the results determines the system of measures needed to improve the sustainability of plant communities. The overall effect quantitatively can be determined by measuring the inhibition of growth in the developing root system, and counting and studying the chromosomes of some cells of the root system can indicate possible mutagenic changes.